Leanne Abeyance from Telford paid £3,000 for dental implants in Turkey, but the procedure went wrong leaving her with severe complications and unable to eat
When Leanne Abeyance flew to Turkey in May 2024 to swap her 13 year old veneers for implants, she never anticipated the ordeal that awaited her.
Leanne, hailing from Telford, Shropshire, opted for treatment overseas due to the hefty £40,000 price tag attached to the same procedure in the UK. The Turkish clinic quoted her £8,000, of which she paid an upfront fee of £3,000, with the balance due upon completion of the treatment.
Following a dentist’s advice, she underwent a sinus lift and bone grafts, receiving eight implants on the upper jaw and seven on the lower. Prior to this nightmare, Leanne had been working as a DJ. She had her teeth extracted and replaced with screws and implants.
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Two days post-surgery, the 40 year old was fitted with temporary teeth. She was scheduled to return to Turkey five months later for her permanent set and initially, she was pleased with her interim smile.
Unfortunately, Leanne began suffering from severe headaches and sinusitis just weeks after the operation. A scan at a private dental practice revealed that two of the implants had penetrated her nasal cavity – leaving her terrified of losing her upper lip, reports the Mirror.
Leanne shared her harrowing experience: “I was constantly in and out of the doctors and given antibiotics, but nothing was clearing it. I got hospitalised overnight on an IV feed. A few weeks back, I was in the worst pain of my life, going back and forth to AandE, where they couldn’t do anything.”
The situation remains much the same today. She explained: “I’m scared that I’m going to have no lips left. It’s [the hole] already gone under my top lip and onto my gums.
“It doesn’t stop leaking and bleeding. I can’t even eat properly anymore because it’s so sore and painful. And the fact that I have to keep the gauze on, I can’t breathe.”
Leanne described how “thick gunk” continuously seeps from the wound – images we’ve opted not to publish due to their graphic nature. She feels “angry, frustrated, tired and fed up” at being unable to secure help at A&E, as her situation apparently falls into a “grey area”.
Leanne is currently waiting for her GP to confirm whether she’s developed osteomyelitis, a severe bone infection, typically bacterial, that triggers inflammation, pain, fever and swelling.
The impact extends beyond the physical toll, as Leanne is also grappling with unkind responses she’s encountered online.
There may, however, be hope on the horizon. She revealed: “I have contacted my original surgeon in London and he has given me an appointment in a few weeks, so fingers crossed.”
Leanne strongly advised anyone facing similar circumstances to “please go private, do not leave it. Do not accept no for an answer”.
Addressing those posting hurtful comments on social media, Leanne also appealed: “Start being kind to one another, we are all human, and there’s only so much one can take”.
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